Universal joint



1935- c. E. SWENSON 1,989,832

- UNIVERSAL JOINT Filed June 16, 1953 Patented Feb. 1935 Y t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE nmvsnssr. .ronrr Carl E. Swenson, Rockford, IlL, assignor to Mechanics Universal Joint Company, Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application June 16, 1938, Serial No. 676,202

2 Claims. (Cl. 84102) This invention relates to trunnion type unispider, the same providing four trunnions 9, 90 versal joints adapted for use on motor vehicles. apart. The trunnions are received in bearings, The principal object of my invention is to proindicated generally by the numeral 10, each yoke vide a universal joint of very low cost, although being equipped with one pair of these bearings.

it embodies roller bearings for the trunnions e Y kes are, of course. su b y connected to 5 to insure smooth and easy operation and long driving and driven members. The bea ings 1 life. The economy in construction, in accordas will soon appear, are so designed and conance with this invention, comes as a result of Structed that they can be c a e w t the p p designing the joint so that the bearing parts may amount of lubricant at the time they are assembe produced on automatic screw machines and bled on the trunnions and they will not require 0 punch presses, any further attention in service, the lubricant Another important object consists in the probeing retained and protected from contaminavision of a universal joint in which the bearings tion so that the bearings are properly lubricated are in the form of cups adapted to have a snug at least until such time as it may be nec y fit in holes provided therefor in the yoke memto replace the lubricant retaining washers. The 15 bers, and to be fastened in place by means of spider 8 is forged with central depressions 11 small retainer plates having abutment with the in. opposite sides thereof principally to save in outer ends of the cups and secured each by a material, and incidentally lighten the construcsingle cap screw for quick assembly and alltion. The radial holes 12 in the center of the around economy, while providing a solid mounttrunnions serve to pocket a certain amount of 2 ing for the bearings to eliminate play and prolubricant at the time the bearings are assembled duce a joint in which the bearings once assemon the trunnicns to make up any deficiency in bed need never be removed for oiling or inspeclubricant in the bearings and thus insure proper tion throughout the life of the car, the requisite lubrication. 5 amount of lubricant being supplied at the time The yokes 6 and 7 have radial holes 13 provided of assembling and being protected by retainers in exact alignment with each other in the two against loss or contamination to afford proper arms of each yoke. The bearings 10 are in the lubrication. form of cups 14 so as to fit over the trunnions and The invention is illustrated in the accompanyenter the holes 13 with a snug fit, the side walls ing drawing, in whichof each bearing cup having accurately finished 80 Figure 1 is a side view of a universal joint inside surfaces 15 adaptedtoprovide radial bearmade in accordance with my invention but showing support for the trunnion disposed therein, and ing the left hand yoke broken away to show one the end wall having an accurately finished inof the trunnions without a bearing thereon and Side Su fa 16 a p to P d en ust showing the upper half of the other yoke, includbeari pp y engagement 0 the end of 85 ing one of the bearings, in longitudinal section; the trunnion thereon. It is intended that the Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the broken bearing P 14 Will be produced on a Sc w aline 22 of Figure 1; chine for quantity production at low cost and Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the trunnion will b made from bar Stock of approximately bearings, and the same outside diameter as the completed bear- (0 Figs. 4 and 5 are perspective views of a bearing D 8 811011311101 finish grinding after ing cup and the retainer plate therefor, respechardening, w y to minimize machining P- tively, erations and make a proportionate saving in cost.

The same reference numerals are applied to Outside of the machining of surfaces 15 and 16,

corresponding parts throughout the views, there remains only the facing off flatly of the in- 45 The present invention, as indicated abo is ner end, as shown, and the facing oil to a roundprimarily concerned with the construction and ed or spheroidal form of the outer end, as indimounting of the bearings which provide radial Gated at 17, in cutting the p Off he bar. All and end. thrust; bearing support for th t of this work can be done accurately enough for nions, It is unnecessary, therefore, to describe the present purposes on a screw machine. At the 50 in detail the rest of the joint other than to state same time that the inner end is faced off, this end that it is of the trunnion type and comprises a is cut down to a smaller diameter, as indicated pair of yokes or terminal coupling members 6 and at 18, to fit into a sheet metal retainer ring 19. '7 connected by means of an intermediate trans- The ring 19 is of channel-shaped cross-section mission member 8, sometimes referred to as the with the outer flange thereof adapted to have a 55 edge 29 of the retainer plate 23 so 'the bearing cup against turning in the yoke.

provided therein to make for easier and smoother .operation and consequently more eflicient power transmission and longer life. It is found that a universal joint with roller type bearings keeps cool in operation so that the lubricant sees light service and lasts indefinitely. The rollers of course, roll on the outside of the trunnion and on the inside surface 15 of the bearing cup. It will be observed that these rollers are flat on the ends and are so short that they may be placed in the bearing cup after the retainer is applied to the outer end, just before the bearing cup is slipped over the trunnion in assembling the bearing on the joint. It is found that when cup grease, or

any similar heavy or semi-fluid lubricant, is employed, the lubricant spread on the inside of the cup serves to hold the rollers in place securely enough for assembling purposes. 7

The bearings 10 are held in assembled posiion by retainer plates 23 of stamped sheet metal fastened in place on the yokes each by a single capscrew 24 threaded in a radial hole 25 in the yoke. The plates 23 are of arcuate form to fit the accurately machined arcuate' seats 26 provided therefor on the yoke. An arcuate shoulder 2'7-is ground on the same radius as the seat 261 in the outer end of each bearing cup 14 for engagement of the retainerplate 23. In the grinding of the shoulder 27, another shoulder 28 is produced in a vertical plane which is straight and is arranged to be engaged by the straight as to hold Now, it is, of course, important that the shoulder 27 be ground deep enough so that the tightening of the screw 24 will not cause the bearing cup to bind on the trunnion, and, on the other hand,

it is important that the shoulder should not be ground too deep and thus allow the trunnion to have excessive end play with respect to the bearing cup.

as described'in my earlier application, Serial No. 615,496. In accordance with that. method, the yokes' 6 and 7 are first of all turned to produce the seats 26 on a predetermined outside diameter, bearing a predetermined relation to the dimension from the end of one trunnion 9 of the spider to the end of the opposite trunnion, and

7 then the bearing cups 14 are placed on a spider The proper mean depth of cut is as sured when the shoulders 27'are ground similarly type fixture having radial posts substantially corresponding to the trunnions 9 for support of the bearing cups at substantially the proper radius with respect to theaxis of rotation, making allowance for the'working surface. Then, while the bearlng'cups are suitclearance between the. end of the trunnion and the end thmst'bearing ably held and the fixture is revolved, a grinding wheel that is suitably driven is fed toward the workcarefully to grind the shoulders 2'1 to the exact depth desired, down to a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the seats 26. h

In that way, when the bearings are finally assembled on the Joint the screws 24 can be tightened to clamp the plates 23 to the seats 26 with.- out danger of jamming the bearing cups on the trunnions nor, on the other hand, leaving the bearing cups so loose that the trunnions do not find proper end thrust bearing support. In

other words, with'the' bearings tightenedthere should and will be just working clearance. between the ends of the trunnions and the end thrust bearing surfaces 16 to make for smooth and quiet operation and minimum. wear. In the punching of the retainer plates 23, it is also preferred to form a flat seatonthe top surfaces thereof, as at 30, for the engagement of the heads of the cap screws 24.

It is believed the foregoing description conveys a good understanding of all of the objects and advantages of my invention. The appended claims have been drawn so as to cover all legitimate modifications and adaptations.

I claim. 7 r Y i 1. In universal and pivotal joints, the combination of a bifurcated yoke member the two arms of 2 which are opposed bearing supports, a trunnion member having opposed trunnions for entry in bearings on said supports, said supports having aligned radial holes, a cup shaped bearing received in each of said holes and fitting on the trunnions with the end walls thereof abutting the ends of the trunnions to provide end thrust support, the yoke arms having concentric arcuate seats provided thereon transversely thereof on a certain radius relative to the dimension from the end of one trunnion to the end of the oppose trunniomthe outer ends of thebearing cups adjacent said seats having arcuate shoulders formed thereon of the same radius as and in the same plane with said seats, and an arcuate shaped retainerplate securedon each of said seats and en- 1 gaging the related shoulder on the adjacentbear ing cup'. 7 h

2. A structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein the shoulder on the bearing cup has a riser dethe side thereof remote from the seat, and I said plate having the endthereof adapted to abut said riser whereby to hold said bearing cup against turningin the hole in the yoke arm. CARL E. SWENSON. 

